Beware of unemployment social media scams

As Michigan’s unemployment claims have increased, so have attempts to scam people.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a Thursday news release that social media is a particular way that people can be tricked into paying money to scammers or commit fraud themselves.

“Our state has seen an unprecedented uptick in unemployment claims as a result of COVID-19. Delays in processing have caused a great deal of frustration for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders who are simply doing all they can to make ends meet, but I want to urge residents to stay alert when taking to social media for answers or advice,” Nessel said in the release. “There is no guarantee that these answers have been vetted or that the individuals promising to help can actually do so. Do not under any circumstance pay a fee or offer up your personal information to someone on social media.”

If a social media post is offering to help with benefits processing for a fee, it’s probably fake. Posts asking for personal information are a way to steal that information as well.

Information from social media about how to answer questions in the unemployment claims process may not be accurate. Using them can lead to delays in the system, denials of benefits or even acts of fraud.

Accurate information and help can be found at the

.

The UIA can also be contacted at 1-866-500-0017 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.